The LIKEaBIKE is a unique toy vehicle for children between the ages of two and five. It’s a learning bike with no pedals — children can push themselves along with their feet. It allows them to gain the confidence and coordination to ride a real bike. It can be used indoors and out. With its inflated tires, it can be used for trips off the beaten track. A rear-wheel mudguard catches dirt.
The LIKEaBIKE is crafted from mostly natural materials: birch plywood, stainless steel, rubber and felt. It’s sturdy — designed to hold up under the often rough treatment of young children. The gap between the frame and the fork, moreover, is filled with felt, to prevent fingers getting pinched there. The felt also prevents the front wheel from making sharp turns, a common cause for mishaps with young riders of regular bikes. LIKEaBIKE has received the “Spiel Gut” Prize — a German award meaning “Good Toy”.
The LIKEaBIKE is manufactured and assembled in Germany. This toy was initially developed in 1997 by the product designer Rolf Mertens, from the town of Aachen, for his own children.
There are three models available the prices range from $263 to $295.
Available from Amazon.
We test the bugabike its working. That bicycle balancing is a simple no-two-ways-about-it matter will be obvious to anyone who knows a little physics (see explanation further below). Even if you do not know physics or what centripetal force is, you will be able to get a general feel for how bike balancing works.
My kids love the bugabike.
A beautiful form with incredibly fun function! Riding a bugabike is incredible fun for kids! As early as two years old, children can fulfill their urge to be active with this walking bike and have their first experience of riding on two wheels. A bugabike has no pedals. When first trying to ride, kids play with their bugabike as they would with a hobbyhorse.
We purchased this for our daughter. It’s much more forgiving – with no pinching and cold metal. We use it inside and out. I lvoe it and we expect to use it for our daughter and also our neighbor’s daughter. After that we hope to pass it on. I highly recommend it.
I agree with Zuvembi and add: this is o total rip-off. If you have money to burn or get it to show off that your financially irresponsible- go for it. …personally if I could so easily part with $200-$300, it would be much better spent on a charity, i.e.: local homeless shelter Goodwill, cancer, diabetes, arthritis research etc.
We have one of these for our son. While it was an expensive gift, most of the relatives went in on it together, to reduce the individual cost.
Its been a big winner – Conor uses it all the time, inside and out. One of the, sadly few, toys that were worth the cost.
Errr, or you could just get a pedal wrench and take the pedals off an appropriately sized childs bike. For $10 you get a “like-a-bike” and a real children’s bike they can use later.
Basically, this is the recommended learning method for anyone starting out cycling. Take off the pedals, put the seat down low, go to a grassy area with a gentle slope, let them scoot along with their feet. This lets them learn to balance and turn on the bike without pedaling and without worrying about banging their shins on the pedals.